The Front Page #4

So far.

Thank you.

You can use him.

Thank God.

He's the best writer I've got.

Hell, he's

the only writer I've got.

I don't know how he does it.

What about Hecky Brown?

He wrote the letter.

It wasn't good enough.

It's not my decision, Phil.

They tell me, I tell you.

What do I tell Hecky?

You decided he's not

right for the part.

You've changed the character.

You've fired actors before.

Tell him what you told them.

He'll know it's not true.

Can he prove it?

I should get back to the office.

Well, why?

What's the rush?

You're having

a script conference.

That takes time.

Then we ought to talk

about the script.

Oh, later.

Come on.

Hey, what's the matter?

You're the only writer I know

who never wants

to talk about his work.

I'm superstitious.

No, you're not.

Yeah, I am.

The way I see it,

you're either a writer

or a talker.

You're genuinely modest.

I admire that.

What... What...

Do you like sports?

I'm embarrassing you.

No. Do you-

I'm serious.

What do you think of sports?

I like swimming.

No, swimming's not a sport.

Swimming's what you do

so you shouldn't drown,

you know, and sport

is what you play

with a ball.

I used to play basketball,

in school.

You played basketball?

Mm-hmm.

Yeah?

You'd be interested maybe

in playing one-on-one

sometime?

Or, you know, if you ever want

to lay a bet, I'm-

Jesus, forget that.

Hey, you know, I'm-

You know, I'm...

I'm not just a writer.

I mean, I-

I want you to, uh...

I want you

to know-

I know.

You know?

How I feel about you.

That's what you know?

I don't have

to know anything more.

It's first-class.

You know, I've never seen

an account like yours.

Up and down, up and down.

One week a big deposit,

the next week-

If you don't mind my asking,

what does a man like you do?

Uh, futures.

Oh.

Mr. Delaney?

Federal Bureau of Investigation.

We'd like to talk to you.

I've got nothing to say to you.

We thought you might

be ready to cooperate.

Nobody has to know.

See you again,

Mr. Delaney.

Keep walking.

You're here!

He's here!

We've been trying all over.

Thank God.

What's the matter?

I said I'd bring it

to you today.

Forget that one.

What do you mean, forget it?

I said, forget it.

You've got to

rewrite the old one.

What old one?

The one with the flashbacks

to the concentration camp.

You said that was great.

It's beautiful.

Well, Florence said she cried.

The scenes in the gas chamber,

I cried.

So then what, then?

The sponsor won't approve it.

You found him.

First, they said yes.

Now they say no.

Right when we're in the middle

of dress rehearsal.

You want to know why?

They're a gas company.

They decided the show

makes gas look bad.

I think we'll

make it a firing squad.

They killed Jews that way too.

Leave it to Howard.

He's the writer.

What is the excitement?

They want changes, you know,

make it a firing squad.

You've got to write new scenes.

I'll go home and write them.

You don't have time.

I'll take a cab.

No, you don't realize.

Time is of the essence.

Look at us.

We're stuck here!

They're waiting upstairs

for the rewrite-

the network, the sponsor.

They don't approve,

there is no show!

They can't wait till tonight?

They want it now.

I'm supposed to keep you here

till it's done.

No, I can't write

except in my room.

We got a good office for you.

I guarantee you will not

be disturbed.

No, no, no.

I don't get inspired.

It doesn't have to be

inspired, only changed.

There really isn't

that much writing, Howard.

We have to be careful

not to lose the emotion.

Don't bother him with details.

He's got a lot of work to do.

Come on in.

Now, clear your mind and write.

Quiet, children. Quiet.

Boys and girls,

we have a very special visitor

to our assembly today.

Not long ago,

he sat in the same seats

you're sitting in now.

But because he worked hard,

and studied hard,

he is now

a famous television writer.

Hecky, um...

I don't know how to say this,

but I'm worried.

I'm not the only one.

Upstairs too.

Worried about what?

Here, Sussman, take a pickle.

No, no.

The show is a smash.

Yeah, well so far.

So far, so good.

I got to look ahead, Hecky.

Your quality, I don't know,

the character's not working.

I made up the character.

You loved it.

First impression was tremendous.

Don't get me wrong.

You think so too?

It's not her decision.

What decision?

I think you're wonderful, Hecky,

so does everyone else.

No one denies your talent.

It's...

Your personality

is too dominant.

You belong out front,

like Berle,

in one.

In a dramatic series,

you're throwing

the whole show off balance.

Who says?

A talent like yours needs room.

You know what you need, Hecky?

You need a show of your own,

where you can dominate.

As a matter of fact,

I got a few ideas.

We'll make some time,

get together,

and kick them around.

Is it the letter?

Absolutely not.

I wrote what that snake

asked me to write!

Wouldn't I tell you?

The problem is artistic.

Female of the species.

No, I think

you have to safely say

that Grand Central

is one of the few

television shows

where the writer

is really the star.

Yeah, but there's, you know,

there is a lot

of other people too.

You know, I mean

wonderful people.

I certainly understand

the importance of actors

and then, of course, directors.

Did you write in high school?

Did I write in high school?

Yeah, you had to.

It was Brooklyn.

Is that correct?

It was formerly Brooklyn.

Oh, Hecky!

You know,

I went around and I-

But the television form

is so different.

Oh, you know it.

Yeah.

And you're so terrific at it.

Well, you know, I didn't say it.

I wrote what you asked.

I was duped.

I didn't know what I was doing.

I'll never do it again.

What more can I say?

That's up to you.

I have to work.

I can't get work, Mr. Hennessy.

The doors are closed in my face.

My own agent, 30 years,

he won't even

answer my telephone calls.

I appreciate your situation.

I do, Mr. Brown.

I've helped people

in your situation.

Then help me, please.

Tell me.

I'll turn myself inside out.

I'll do everything

you tell me to do.

You make that difficult

to believe.

What else can I do?

I'll do it, believe me.

You don't know

what I'm going through.

I'd like to believe you,

but I have the feeling

you're not being entirely frank.

Give me a "for instance."

You'll see. I promise.

You marched in a May Day parade.

Only because of that girl

with the big ass.

Whose name you say

you can't remember.

Oh, what was her name?

Tessie? Bessie?

I wasn't interested in her name.

I was interested in her body.

Other people

marched in that parade,

other actors, directors.

You don't remember their names

either?

I'm terrible with names.

They remember you.

I'm a well-known personality.

You talked with these people?

Some of them.

Some were kind enough

to write letters.

Then you know who they are.

So it's not so important

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